• During the lesson, keep the focus on identifying alliteration and understanding how an author uses figurative language to enhance writing.
• Use the following checklist to evaluate students’ understanding:
  • Student defines alliteration.
  • Student demonstrates the ability to identify examples of alliteration.
  • Student creates an alliterative sentence.
  • Student explains why authors use alliteration.

Focus question: How do authors use alliteration to enhance the meaning of the text?

Display on the board/interactive whiteboard the following tongue twister:

Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.
A peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked.
If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers,
Where’s the peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked?

Call on a few volunteers to recite the tongue twister “Peter Piper” as fast as they can. Encourage students to share other familiar tongue twisters.

Part 1

Say, “Tongue twisters use a type of figurative language called alliteration, which is a technique authors use to add interest and descriptive details to their writing.”

Have students look back at the tongue twister “Peter Piper.” Say, “Turn to the person next to you and predict the meaning of the word alliteration.”

As students share their predictions, record their responses on the board/interactive whiteboard. Guide students to understand the definition of alliteration: the repetition of initial consonant sounds in neighboring words.

Say, “The tongue twister ‘Peter Piper’ uses repetition of the initial consonant sound /p/. I am going to read aloud the picture book If You Were Alliteration. As I read, listen for examples of alliteration.” After reading the book, have students recall some of the alliterative phrases they heard in the text. Have volunteers locate examples of alliteration. Reinforce the repetition of the initial consonant sounds. Ask how the author used alliteration to enhance the purpose or meaning of the text.

Have each of four groups read the following picture books listed in the Materials section of the lesson plan or other similar books:

• Four Famished Foxes
• Thank You for the Thistle
• Some Smug Slug
• Walking Is Wild, Weird, and Wacky

Distribute one sheet of chart paper to each group. Say, “You are responsible for recording examples of alliteration on the chart paper and sharing examples of how the author used alliteration to enhance the meaning of the text. Make sure to include examples of the alliterative phrases used.”

Encourage groups to take turns sharing their findings with the class.

Part 2

Say, “Today we are going to read the picture book Watch William Walk. In this book, the author uses alliteration throughout the text, making one complete sentence.”

After reading the book, show students how the author used nouns, adjectives, verbs, and adverbs to create an alliterative sentence. If necessary, review the definitions of these parts of speech.

• noun: the name of a person, place, or thing
• adjective: a describing word
• verb: an action word
• adverb: a word that describes a verb or another adverb

Say, “Let’s write an alliterative sentence about a cat. The word cat is a noun. We can begin by brainstorming a list of adjectives, verbs, and adverbs that all have the /k/ sound.” The following are some examples:

• adjectives: crazy, cool, calico, cute
• verbs: clawed, climbed, crawled
• adverbs: carefully, carelessly, cautiously, creatively

Model for students the following alliterative sentence using some of the adjectives, verbs, and adverbs listed above. Write an example, such as the one below, on the board/interactive whiteboard. Underline each part of speech and circle the first letter of each word.

Example: The crazy cat carelessly clawed at the colorful curtains.

Have students work with a partner to write alliterative sentences about the cat, using an adjective, a verb, and an adverb. After students have had time to practice writing alliterative sentences, let them read aloud their examples.

Work with students to develop a list of nouns that can be used as the subjects of alliterative sentences. Distribute a sheet of drawing paper to each student. Say, “Choose one of the nouns from the list and create your own alliterative sentence, which must also include an adjective, a verb, and an adverb. You will create an illustration of your alliterative sentence too.”

Have students share their sentences and illustrations in small groups. Discuss how the use of alliteration enhances text by creating interest and expanding vocabulary.

Part 3

Have students demonstrate understanding by writing a narrative or poem that utilizes alliteration to enhance the meaning of their piece. Allow students the option of working with a partner or a small group to accomplish this task.

Read examples of students’ work to the class and discuss how the use of alliteration enhances the meaning of the narrative or poem.

Extension:

• Students who are ready to move beyond the standard may create an alliterative ABC class book. Assign one or more letters of the alphabet to each student and have students create a logical alliterative sentence using each assigned letter.
• Students who need additional opportunities for learning can find alliteration examples in books with alliteration or by finding alliterative sentences on the Internet (see Materials list for sources).